Alfred, May 10, 2018 – A second awareness-raising tour of job opportunities was held in the United Counties of Prescott and Russell (UCPR) last Wednesday, May 2, organized in partnership by the Economic Development and Tourism Department of the UCPR, the Prescott-Russell Employment Services Centre, and the Réseau de soutien à l’immigration francophone de l’Est de l’Ontario.

The tour was a great success with 21 participants in attendance, who visited two local companies, Muskoka Cabinet Company and PiiComm, and attended a presentation by Tulmar Safety Systems, which explained its operations and positions available at the Hawkesbury-based company.

“The companies, as well as the participants, later said that they appreciated the day. They truly enjoyed the experience and some of the participants seem open to come work or even settle in our region,” stated François St-Amour, Warden of the UCPR Council.

Organizers took the opportunity over lunch to provide presentations and videos of the Prescott and Russell region, as well as entrepreneurial opportunities and the involvement of the Association canadienne-française de l'Ontario of Prescott and Russell (ACFO-PR) in the community. A visit to the Prescott-Russell Employment Services Centre allowed participants to submit their resumes.

“There is a shortage of labour in the Prescott and Russell area, and this reflects the latest data from Statistics Canada,” explained Carole Lavigne, Director of Economic Development and Tourism at the UCPR. “The number of available jobs is increasing in Ontario, as it is elsewhere in Canada, and our partnership of regional agencies is currently working on some solutions.”

According to an analysis by Gérald Fillion, an economics journalist for Radio-Canada, published on April 13: “There are many solutions, but they must be combined. These include: promoting the training of current and future workers; being open to people with impairments or disabilities who wish to enter or remain in the workforce; offering better working conditions, better wages and benefits; and improving the labour market integration of immigrants, whose unemployment rate remains higher than average.”